WINDISCH, Ernst Wilhelm Oskar

WINDISCH, Ernst Wilhelm Oskar. Dresden 4.9.1844 — Dresden 30.10. 1918. German Indologist and Celtic Scholar. Professor in Leipzig. Son of a schoolteacher. From 1863 studied at Leipzig classics, Germanic (under Zarncke), Sanskrit (Brockhaus) and Comparative Linguistics (Curtius). Ph.D. 1867 Leipzig. PD in Sanskrit and Comparative Linguistics 1869 Leipzig. From 1868 taught classical languages at Thomas-Gymnasium. In 1869-71 further studies in London (Celtic), where he also prepared a catalogue of the philosophical manuscripts of India Office. He visited Wales and rejected a chair at Bombay University. From 1871 ao. Professor of Sanskrit at Leipzig and, after a while as ord. Professor of Sanskrit & vgl. Sprach­wissen­schaft at Heidelberg (from 1872) and of vgl. Sprachwiss. at Strassburg (1875), from 1877 until his death ord. Professor of Sanskrit at Leipzig. In 1895-96 Rector of university. Health problems since 1889. Married 1873 Berta Roscher, four sons (Hans W., Professor of Theology) and one daughter. From 1893 Member of Sächsische AW, from 1905 of Bayrische AW.

EW was a many-sided scholar, equally interested in Pāli, Sanskrit, Comparative IE, and Celtic, and made important results in each. In Indology his main fields very Veda and Buddhism. He was not brilliant, but an industrious and minute scholar. At the early phase of his career he was interested in Jaina studies, but left them. In his drama studies he derived Indian drama from Attic new comedy. One of the pioneers of comparative syntax. Among his students were Gawroºski, Hertel, Hohenberger, C. Krause, and F. Weller.